President Donald Trump called the special election for former GOP Rep. Mark Green’s Tennessee seat a “big deal” and said he wants Republicans to surpass his 2024 margins in the district.
Trump made the remarks in a Monday night tele-rally for Matt Van Epps, the Republican candidate running against Democrat Aftyn Behn in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Voters head to the polls on Tuesday to bring an end to a race that has drawn millions in outside spending as Democrats believe they have an opportunity for an upset. 
“This is a big deal, because right now we’re like, three votes up on the radical left, and this would be a wonderful victory for us,” Trump <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/01/us-news/trump-calls-tennessee-special-election-a-big-thing-suggests-results-will-reflect-on-him-and-the-gop/">said</a>, according to the New York Post. “It’ll be really a positive sign.” 
Trump won the district by more than twenty percentage points in the 2024 presidential race. 
“If it’s like two points less than that, they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s terrible. I guess Trump’s losing his magic,&#8217;” Trump said. “I want Matt to do better than me, even.&#8221;
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">who spent</a> Monday in Tennessee campaigning with Van Epps, was also on Monday night&#8217;s call with Trump. 
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“It is no secret my majority in Congress is razor-thin,” Johnson said. “Every seat matters more than ever, and that’s exactly why we need Matt here in Washington.”
Later in a social media post, Trump <a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1995676855651664182">called</a> for his supporters to surge to the polls. 
“I am asking all America First Patriots in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District to please GET OUT AND VOTE TOMORROW for a phenomenal Candidate, Matt Van Epps, on Election Day, Tuesday, December 2nd!” Trump <a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1995676855651664182">said</a>. “HE WILL BE A GREAT CONGRESSMAN and, unlike his Opponent, he cherishes Christianity and Country Music — She has openly stated that she hates them both!”
Earlier on Monday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line’%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">called</a> into a rally in Franklin, Tennessee, where Johnson, Republican senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, and GOP Governor Bill Lee were all rallying support for Van Epps. 
“It’s all going to come down to the numbers, and my friends, the Democrats have seen an opportunity. They’re counting on us to slide into December 2 having enjoyed Thanksgiving and not thinking that this seat is at risk,” Hagerty said. “The message that we can send from here in Tennessee has to be loud and clear. Not only is Tennessee a red state, Tennessee seven is a red district, and the reputation of our state is on the line.”
Behn also held a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-name-dems-make-final-pitch-for-aftyn-behn-hope-for-tuesday-miracle-in-tennessee?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Big-Name+Dems+Make+Final+Pitch+For+Aftyn+Behn%2C+Hope+For+Tuesday+‘Miracle’+In+Tennessee">virtual rally</a> on Monday night, featuring Democrat favorites like former Vice President Al Gore and far-Left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Democrats hope to capitalize on high turnout in parts of Nashville and on low Republican turnout in rural areas. 
More than 84,000 Tennesseans have already cast their ballots during the early voting period, which lasted from November 12 to 26, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1169221962004705&amp;set=pcb.1169223325337902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> state officials. Polls in Tennessee will stay open until 7:00 p.m. CST.

MixCollage-02-Dec-2025-07-14-AM-4931

‘A Big Deal’: Trump Calls On Tennessee Republicans To Surge To The Polls

Aftyn Behn

Donald Trump

Elections

Mark Green

Matt Van Epps

Politics

Tennessee

A Democratic candidate running for a congressional seat that represents part of Nashville once said she hated the city and the country music culture long associated with it.
Aftyn Behn, a leftist candidate running for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, attacked Nashville back in a 2020 podcast appearance where she laid into some of Music City’s distinctive features. Behn, currently a Democrat state representative, is running against Republican Matt Van Epps for the congressional seat vacated by House Homeland Security Chair Mark Green earlier this year. 
&#8220;I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an &#8216;it&#8217; city to the rest of the country. But I hate it,&#8221; she said in an unearthed podcast clip posted on Thursday. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Aftyn Behn&#8211; the Democrat nominee for the upcoming TN07 special election&#8211; says that she despises Nashville, the city that she&#8217;s running to represent in Congress:
“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the… <a href="https://t.co/L9lmo1YkkJ">pic.twitter.com/L9lmo1YkkJ</a>
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1991281873486557233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The district, which stretches from the Tennessee-Kentucky border down to Alabama, includes part of Nashville. In 2024, Green won the district with nearly 60% of the vote. A special election is scheduled for December 2, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and Democrats are hoping for low Republican turnout. Both Republicans and Democrats are <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/millions-pour-tennessee-special-election-ahead-december-vote-rcna244846">spending</a> millions on the race. 
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In response to the viral clip, Behn said Republicans were only sharing the footage because they were panicked that she might win the race, and she denied hating Nashville. 
“NO, I DO NOT HATE THE CITY I REPRESENT,&#8221; Behn <a href="https://x.com/aftynfortn/status/1991669057473425651">wrote</a> on X. &#8220;The national GOP&#8217;s new attack? That I ‘hate Nashville.’ I’ve cried in the Country Music Hall of Fame no less than 10 times. They’re panicking because we’re close to winning. Eyes on the prize, y’all. Let’s go.&#8221;
In a video posted to social media, she said she didn&#8217;t hate the city, though she acknowledged that bachelorette parties and pedal taverns occasionally make her “mad.”
During early voting on Thursday, one local Democrat named Tim Ford <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/i-hate-this-city-democratic-candidate-aftyn-behn-at-center-of-controversial-clip">told</a> a local Fox affiliate that he wished he could take back his vote after he heard Behn’s remarks. 
&#8220;I want to go get my vote back and keep it,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;Really surprised someone would even talk like that about Nashville,&#8221; Ford added. &#8220;I think she should apologize as many times as she can.&#8221;
State Republican lawmakers criticized Behn for her remarks. 
“[Behn] wants to be elected by a city she hates,” Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson <a href="https://x.com/SenJohnson/status/1991624794098561193">said</a>. “The choice couldn’t be more clear — [Van Epps] stands with [Trump] and is committed to helping Nashville continue to thrive. Aftyn is not. Early voting ends Nov. 26th!”
Behn has also characterized the Volunteer State and its legislature as “racist,” writing in a 2020 op-ed that “our problem with racism in this state is wild and untamed” and that “racism is in the air we breathe.”
President Donald Trump, who endorsed Van Epps during a competitive Republican primary, has called Behn &#8220;a left-wing lunatic.&#8221;

MixCollage-21-Nov-2025-10-35-AM-9496

Music City Fumble: Dem Candidate Said She Hates City She Wants To Represent In Congress

Nashville

The Republican majority in the House has shrunk by one with the official resignation of Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) following the passage of the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; this month.
In the House chamber on Monday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/us-house-of-representatives/us-house-of-representatives/434841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Green&#8217;s exit and said it left the lower chamber with 431 members. The <a href="https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">party breakdown</a> is now 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats. There are <a href="https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three vacant seats</a> left by Democrats who recently died. Special elections are expected to pick their replacements in the coming months.
Green <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-chairman-to-retire-after-big-beautiful-bill-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> &#8220;with a heavy heart&#8221; last month that he planned to retire from Congress after one more vote on the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221; That happened on July 3, when the House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-beautiful-and-on-the-way-to-trumps-desk-congress-passes-historic-spending-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> the legislation to President Donald Trump via the budget reconciliation process just before his Independence Day deadline.
First elected to the House in 2018, Green worked his way to becoming chairman of the Homeland Security panel and helped oversee efforts to pass a major border security bill and impeach Biden DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The lawmaker, who was just re-elected in November by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/results/2024/11/05/tennessee-house-district-7/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defeating</a> his Democrat challenger by more than 20 points, said he was leaving Congress after being offered a private sector job that he could not refuse.
&#8220;Though I planned to retire at the end of the previous Congress, I stayed to ensure that President Trump’s border security measures and priorities make it through Congress,&#8221; Green said in his <a href="https://x.com/RepMarkGreen/status/1932197022821388379" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. &#8220;By overseeing the border security portion of the reconciliation package, I have done that. After that, I will retire.&#8221;
A special election is now expected to pick a replacement for Green to serve out the remainder of his two-year term as representative for the 7th Congressional District of Tennessee. Some people in the Republican and Democrat camps have <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/07/tennessee-mark-green-farewell-possible-replacements/84490848007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> campaigns for the seat. Green <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/mark-green-endorses-matt-van-epps-in-tennessee-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed</a> Matt Van Epps, an Army veteran and former Tennessee Department of General Services commissioner, to be his successor.
The Hill <a href="https://x.com/emilybrooksnews/status/1947409897223819365" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the House GOP Steering Committee is expected to select a new chair of the homeland security panel on Monday evening. The candidates for the top role include Reps. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), and Michael Guest (R-MS).

GOP’s House Majority Shrinks After ‘Big, Beautiful’ Victory

Congress

U.S.

U.S. House of Representatives

House Republicans are set to lose Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, following another vote on the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; expected in the coming weeks.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress. Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up,&#8221; Green said in a <a href="https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?id=C02CE940-281B-4FEE-85F7-A6E7134F4FAF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Monday.
He continued, &#8220;As a result, today I notified the Speaker and the House of Representatives that I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package.&#8221;
The GOP-led House narrowly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-one-big-beautiful-bill-in-massive-win-for-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the bill, which contains myriad tax cuts and spending provisions seeking to boost President Donald Trump&#8217;s second-term agenda, a few weeks ago.
Senators are expected to make some changes to the legislation, meaning the House will have to approve it again, in its revised form. The Trump administration hopes to have the bill completed by July 4.
First elected to the House in 2018, Green oversaw as chairman of the Homeland Security panel efforts to pass a major border security bill and impeach Biden DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
&#8220;Though I planned to retire at the end of the previous Congress, I stayed to ensure that President Trump’s border security measures and priorities make it through Congress,&#8221; Green said in his statement.
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The chairman added, &#8220;By overseeing the border security portion of the reconciliation package, I have done that. After that, I will retire, and there will be a special election to replace me.&#8221;
A source told Fox News reporter Aishah Hasnie that the <a href="https://x.com/aishahhasnie/status/1932211198155489557" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;plan&#8221;</a> is to have Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) return as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee until the end of this session of Congress.
Green&#8217;s departure will decrease the GOP&#8217;s majority in the House. As it stands, there are 220 Republicans and 212 Democrats. There are <a href="https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three vacant seats</a> left behind by Democrats who recently died.
&#8220;I have no doubt that my colleagues in this Congress will continue to strengthen the cause of freedom,&#8221; Green said. &#8220;May God bless them, and the United States of America.&#8221;

Rep. Mark Green (R-TN)

House GOP Chairman To Retire After ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Vote

House Committee on Homeland Security

Spending Bill

Congressman Mark Green on Wednesday introduced legislation aiming to further crush the Iranian-backed Ansar Allah terrorist organization, also known as the Houthis.
The Tennessee Republican’s bill builds on President Donald Trump’s executive order designating the Houthis as a Foreign Terror Organization (FTO) by sanctioning those complicit in Houthi attacks, as well as those who have materially supported Houthi attacks or will in the future.
“We must do more to combat the Houthi rebels and sanction their suppliers,” Green told The Daily Wire. “President Trump’s actions and my legislation accomplish both.”
Trump first designated the Houthis as an FTO in the last weeks of his first term, but President Joe Biden rescinded it in February 2021 because the designation interfered with providing humanitarian aid to Yemen, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/05/politics/us-houthis-terrorist-list/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
In January 2024, the Biden administration classified the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entity (SDGT). SDGT implements economic sanctions but does not impose travel bans or allow sanctions on those supporting the group as the FTO designation does, according to the State Department.
Trump once again designated the Houthis an FTO in a January <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-re-designates-the-houthis-as-a-foreign-terrorist-organization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order.</a>
“The Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade,” the order reads.
Green’s bill mandates the creation of three executive branch reports to provide updates about the Houthis’ threat to national security, their disturbances to freedom of navigation, and their violations of the United Nations’ arms embargo against Yemen.
“The Houthis have consistently threatened the lives of American citizens and military personnel,” Green said. “With this new designation, the United States stands ready to combat any threats against us and our allies in the Red Sea.”
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and about 40 missiles and more than 300 drones at Israel, according to Green.
In February 2025, the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/houthis-target-us-fighter-jet-drone-sam-missiles-first-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houthis fired</a> surface-to-air missiles at an American F-16 and MQ-9 Reaper drone.
“These egregious attacks must come to an end,” Green said. “The Iranian regime has fully backed the Houthi rebels in Yemen with weapons, funding, and political support. As a result, the Red Sea and the Middle East have become vastly more dangerous.”
Green sponsored <a href="https://markgreen.house.gov/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4F4E1DE2-783C-4FF9-B3E1-2BC7735D8237" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a similar bill</a> in the previous Congress, which did not make it to a vote on the floor.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/houthis-re-designated-as-terror-group-by-state-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced last week</a> that the State Department redesignated the Houthis as an FTO.
“Today’s action taken by the State Department demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, the safety of the American people, and the security of the United States,” Rubio said in a <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-ansarallah-as-a-foreign-terrorist-organization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
Rubio added that the United States would not tolerate any country engaging with terrorist organizations like the Houthis under the guise of practicing legitimate international business.
The State Department <a href="https://rewardsforjustice.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is offering</a> a $15 million reward and possible relocation for people who provide information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of the Houthis.

Houthis stage anti-governent protest in Sanaa

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Congressman Introduces Bill To Expand Trump’s Efforts To Counter Houthi Terrorists

Houthis

Iran

Marco Rubio

Terrorists

Threats of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese</a> espionage to the United States have increased over the last four years, according to a “threat snapshot” conducted by the House Committee on Homeland Security first shared with The Daily Wire. 
The snapshot documented more than 60 reported cases of China-backed efforts to take military secrets, steal trade information, and conduct transnational repression operations. The committee blasted former President Joe Biden&#8217;s handling of China, but said it was optimistic that the Trump administration would do more to counteract Beijing&#8217;s influence.
“The PRC has gained significant ground in its information warfare on American soil over the past four years,” Committee Chair Mark E. Green (R-TN) told The Daily Wire. “If you think the U.S. military and our government are the only targets of the Chinese Communist Party, think again. The shadow of Beijing’s malign influence falls upon American businesses, university campuses, and the critical infrastructure we rely on — not to mention those on U.S. soil who dare to speak out against the CCP.”
The “threat snapshot” tracked over 60 Chinese Communist Party cases across 20 states from January 2021 through February 2025. Many of the cases have been tracked in California, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, and New York, while other incidents have been reported in states like Tennessee and Alabama. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-875579" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.12.35-PM.png" alt="" width="1579" height="1000" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.12.35-PM.png 1579w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.12.35-PM-300x190.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.12.35-PM-910x576.png 910w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.12.35-PM-768x486.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.12.35-PM-1536x973.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1579px) 100vw, 1579px" /></div>
Included in the threat snapshot were statistics about how much effort the government takes to thwart Chinese influence. For example, the FBI opens a new case to counter a Chinese intelligence operation every 12 hours and that around 60% of all trade theft cases involve China. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-875583" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.00.35-PM.png" alt="" width="1579" height="1044" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.00.35-PM.png 1579w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.00.35-PM-300x198.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.00.35-PM-871x576.png 871w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.00.35-PM-768x508.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-11-at-8.00.35-PM-1536x1016.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1579px) 100vw, 1579px" /></div>
The most recent incident tracked comes from February 5, when Chinese national Leon Ding was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/superseding-indictment-charges-chinese-national-relation-alleged-plan-steal-proprietary-ai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicted</a> by the Justice Department for allegedly stealing information on artificial intelligence from Google. He was accused of stealing more than 1,000 unique files from Google. 
The committee also highlighted two incidents from December 2024. It pointed to the guilty plea of Chen Jinping, who operated an undeclared Chinese police station in Manhattan, and the arrest of Yaoning Sun, who allegedly worked for Beijing while employed as a campaign manager for a California political candidate. 
The committee also praised the commitments of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to counteract the influence of China.
“The People’s Republic of China is more than just a distant geopolitical adversary; the Chinese Communist Party is working to undermine U.S. sovereignty in our own backyards,” Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) told The Daily Wire. “With strength back in the White House and Texas leading the way, Beijing’s malign influence will no longer fly under the radar.”

A US and a Chinese flag wave outside a c

EXCLUSIVE: Chinese Espionage Threat Increased Under Biden, Congressional Report Finds

China

Department of Homeland Security

Joe Biden

Trump Administration

House Homeland Security Committee Chair Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Green</a> (R-TN) said this week that the U.S. needed more FBI personnel to stop people from being radicalized into becoming terrorists after a man who recently converted to Islam declared his allegiance to ISIS and murdered 14 people in New Orleans this week.
Green&#8217;s remarks come after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar used a rented truck to mow down people in New Orleans&#8217; French Quarter before he got out and opened fire on law enforcement.
“What our FBI needs is more resources,&#8221; Green told CBS News on Friday morning.
He said that agents need to be looking for individuals who are online and becoming radicalized inside the U.S.
&#8220;The fusion centers do a pretty good job most of the time, but a situation like this where a guy gets radicalized, we don’t know exactly when, and then is turned on to do a mission like this, that’s the information that’s going to require boots on the ground all over the country, in places where people get radicalized,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;And they pulled back after — initially, after 9/11, the FBI was everywhere looking, they caught those guys in upstate New York by doing that human intelligence,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But they’ve pulled back over the past several years, and they need to put that back into place.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Homeland Security Chair Mark Green provides updates on New Orleans attack" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZLMLslSh4QA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Rep. Mark Green

Homeland Security Chairman On ISIS Terror Attack: U.S. Needs More FBI Agents To Stop Islamic Terror

ISIS

Radical Islam

Terrorism

The House Homeland Security Committee demanded this week that top <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> officials provide information on how military assets were mobilized to respond to devastating Hurricane Helene damage done in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a> in September. 
The committee announced Friday that it had asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) to provide details on how the Helene response was coordinated. The requests come as the Biden administration has faced intense scrutiny over its response to both Helene and Hurricane Milton. 
“The Committee on Homeland Security (Committee) is conducting oversight of the federal response to Hurricane Helene,” wrote Committee Chair Mark Green (R-TN) in a <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-12-10-Green-et-al-to-Austin-DOD-re-Hurricane-Helene-DoD-Response.pdf">letter</a> sent to Austin on Tuesday. “Since Hurricane Helene’s landfall on September 26, 2024, the scale of mobilized resources, materiel, and personnel at the federal and state levels has been significant. The Committee seeks to better understand the use of military assets, the execution of Title 10 authorities, and how these efforts were coordinated in North Carolina, where the damage from Hurricane Helene is particularly acute.”
The letter was co-signed by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY).
Helene, which made landfall in September, led to devastating flooding in portions of East Tennessee and western North Carolina after torrential rain. Many residents reported that it took weeks for federal responders to arrive, and thousands are still without homes. 
According to the letters, more than 6,000 federal personnel, including 1000 National Guard Bureau troops, were sent to North Carolina by October 5.
“The intense breadth of Hurricane Helene’s impact requires significant DoD assets and personnel to assist in North Carolina’s immediate and long-term recovery,” the lawmakers wrote. 
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The committee wants all communications and documents between the DoD, FEMA, DHS, and North Carolina about how the military was used to respond to the flooding. It also wants documents showing how many DoD service members were requested for the response. 
Earlier this month, the committee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-homeland-security-to-interview-second-fema-employee-about-trump-guidance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interviewed</a> FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington, who ordered relief workers in Lake Placid, Florida, to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” The committee is investigating Washington&#8217;s claims that FEMA had a widespread policy of avoiding politically hostile homes. 
Other whistleblowers have alleged that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-ask-for-probe-into-allegations-fema-skipped-entire-neighborhoods-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entire neighborhoods</a> in North Carolina were skipped over if there were three or more Trump signs in the community.

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Lawmakers Probe Military Response To Helene Destruction In North Carolina

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Roy Cooper

The House Homeland Security Committee plans to interview a second FEMA employee about a former supervisor&#8217;s instruction for relief workers to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-fema-fires-official-who-told-hurricane-relief-workers-to-skip-trump-homes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skip homes</a> in Florida displaying Trump flags or signs, according to a letter first shared with The Daily Wire. 
Homeland Security Chair Mark Green (R-TN) sent the <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/2024-12-05-Green-et-al-to-Hershey-re-Transcribed-Interview_Redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> Thursday afternoon to Chad Hershey, the supervisor of  former FEMA employee Marn&#8217;i Washington, who ordered workers in Lake Placid to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” The request to Hershey comes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-to-question-fired-fema-supervisor-over-guidance-to-skip-trump-supporters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one day</a> after the committee interviewed Washington, who issued the Trump home guidance both verbally and in a text message. 
“The Committee seeks to uncover the complete nature and extent of FEMA’s misconduct in withholding federal assistance from Americans based on political affiliation,” Green wrote. “Your observations and experience as Ms. Washington’s Task Force Lead for the Disaster Survival Assistance Task Force are vital to the Committee’s investigation.”
The letter was also signed by Reps. Dan Bishop (R-NC) and Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY). 
Citing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs">reports</a> from The Daily Wire, Green wrote that Hershey should schedule a transcribed interview with the committee by December 9. Green indicated that the committee wanted to ask Hershey about comments she made in interviews after she was fired over the guidance, saying that he had directed her to issue the guidance. 
“In an interview following her termination, Ms. Washington claimed that her instructions to FEMA workers were not exceptional, but rather that you, as her direct supervisor, instructed her to avoid homes that had signs bearing support for President-elect Donald J. Trump to avoid ‘community trends of political hostility,’” Green wrote. 
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When first contacted by The Daily Wire, Hershey said that he was “aware” of the situation with the Trump guidance, and that it was being looked into. 
“We are aware of it and we are taking proper action in this situation currently,” Hershey said last month, adding that “we are taking action at this moment regarding the situation that you’re talking about.” 
Whistleblowers told The Daily Wire that at least 20 homes were skipped due to the guidance. Those homes have since been visited by relief workers, according to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. 
Since the first story broke, other whistleblowers have alleged FEMA misconduct toward Trump supporters in Georgia and North Carolina.

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EXCLUSIVE: Homeland Security To Interview Second FEMA Employee About Trump Guidance

FEMA

Florida

Hurricane

The House Homeland Security Committee will interview the fired FEMA supervisor who ordered relief workers in Florida to skip homes with Trump flags or signs, a committee spokesman told The Daily Wire. 
The committee on Tuesday will interview Marn’i Washington, who was fired last month by FEMA after The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that she had ordered relief workers in Lake Placid to “avoid homes advertising Trump&#8221; as they canvassed after Hurricane Milton. Since the story broke, Washington has claimed that FEMA made her a scapegoat, and that it is agency policy to skip “politically hostile” homes. 
Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-TN) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-to-question-fired-fema-supervisor-over-guidance-to-skip-trump-supporters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> Friday that Washington schedule a transcribed interview to discuss her accusations against FEMA and her guidance in Florida. 
“While FEMA may maintain that this was an isolated incident, you suggested in a recent interview that this practice of discrimination was widespread throughout FEMA, including in disaster response efforts in North Carolina,” Green wrote. &#8220;Government discrimination against American citizens based on a political sign or flag promoting a particular candidate is not only an outrageous abuse of power and a serious betrayal of the public trust, but a direct violation of the First Amendment.&#8221;
Whistleblowers told The Daily Wire that at least 20 homes were skipped in Lake Placid due to Washington’s guidance. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed this number during congressional testimony and said that agency staff had visited the neglected homes to register survivors after the story broke. 
Criswell told lawmakers that the incident was isolated, contradicting Washington’s comments in media interviews and allegations from other whistleblowers. One whistleblower <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whistleblower-alleges-fema-advised-georgia-hurricane-victims-to-remove-trump-signs-comer-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the House Oversight Committee that a FEMA supervisor in Georgia directed a family to remove Trump campaign signage from their home, saying it was not “looked kindly” on by the agency. 
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On Tuesday, lawmakers on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-ask-for-probe-into-allegations-fema-skipped-entire-neighborhoods-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> in a letter to Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari that they had heard whistleblower reports from North Carolina alleging whole neighborhoods had been skipped over if there were three or more Trump signs in them. 
“In North Carolina, the Committee is aware of reports of FEMA employees skipping any home that displayed a ‘Make America Great Again,’ ‘Drain the Swamp,’ ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ or Trump campaign sign. If the FEMA field team encountered three or more of these signs, the field team could abandon the entire neighborhood without notifying hurricane victims of assistance available to them,” Committee Chair Sam Graves and Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) wrote. 
FEMA has yet to respond to any of the follow up allegations, but maintain that they are still investigating Washington’s guidance.

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Fired FEMA Supervisor To Speak With Lawmakers On Trump Flag Guidance

House GOP

Hurricane Milton

The House Homeland Security Committee plans to interview fired FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington about her instructions to relief workers in Florida to skip homes displaying Trump signs or flags, according to a letter first shared with The Daily Wire.
Committee Chair Mark Green (R-TN) requested Friday that Washington appear for a transcribed interview to discuss her recent claims that FEMA has a widespread policy of avoiding “politically hostile” homes. Washington made the comments after The Daily Wire reported that she instructed federal relief workers in Lake Placid, Florida, to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” 
Green wrote that the interview was part of the committee’s investigation into “potential discrimination against disaster victims based on political affiliation” and wanted to schedule the interview by November 25. He said the interview would help lawmakers as they seek “to uncover the complete nature and extent of FEMA’s misconduct in withholding federal assistance from Americans based on political affiliation.”
<a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/CHSletter.pdf">The letter</a> was also signed by Reps. Dan Bishop (R-NC) and Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY). 
“Natural disasters don’t consider a person’s political beliefs when devastating homes, businesses, and livelihoods,” Green told The Daily Wire. “Alleged guidance within FEMA to discriminate against fellow Americans in their time of need represents an unacceptable failure to fulfill the agency’s vital mission and a betrayal of the public trust that deserves oversight.”
He added that the committee plans to uncover whether Washington’s instructions were isolated or &#8220;systemic practice” at the Department of Homeland Security. If systemic, Green said “it would mean an unknown number of vulnerable Americans have been passed over for necessary resources simply because of their protected speech.”
Whistleblowers assigned to Washington&#8217;s relief team told The Daily Wire that they skipped at least 20 homes in Lake Placid due to the guidance. FEMA fired Washington on November 9, calling the guidance an “isolated” incident that did not reflect the agency. 
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“Government discrimination against American citizens based on a political sign or flag promoting a particular candidate is not only an outrageous abuse of power and a serious betrayal of the public trust, but a direct violation of the First Amendment,” Green wrote. “This discrimination has no place in our government, and the Committee is determined to ensure that such actions do not occur again in any of FEMA’s operations.”
In an interview after she was fired, Washington told Roland Martin that FEMA’s suggestion that she made an independent decision to avoid certain homes is a mischaracterization, stating that it is agency policy and likely happening in the Carolinas.
Green referenced this interview in his letter to Washington on Friday and encouraged her to cooperate with their investigation. 
“While FEMA may maintain that this was an isolated incident, you suggested in a recent interview that this practice of discrimination was widespread throughout FEMA, including in disaster response efforts in North Carolina,” he wrote. 
The House Oversight Committee grilled FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell about the guidance on Tuesday.

Lawmakers To Question Fired FEMA Supervisor Over Guidance To Skip Trump Supporters

House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) and Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX), blasted the Biden-Harris administration after the arrest of an Afghan national in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who was charged with plotting a terrorist attack on Election Day.
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi has been charged by the Department of Justice with plotting the attack on behalf of ISIS. “Tawhedi was brought to Oklahoma under the Biden-Harris administration&#8217;s special immigrant visa program following the administration&#8217;s disastrous pullout from Afghanistan. CC 1 is Tawhedi&#8217;s brother-in-law and was brought to the U.S. in 2018,” The Daily Wire noted.
“When tens of thousands of insufficiently vetted individuals are let into the interior, this is the inevitable result,” the two GOP leaders wrote. “This Committee has repeatedly warned of the terror threats stemming from the Biden-Harris administration&#8217;s failed leadership and disastrous border security policies. Unfortunately, our calls for transparency regarding the inadequate vetting and screening following the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan continue to go unanswered—and, here, Americans almost paid the price. We appreciate the efforts of law enforcement in thwarting this alleged terror plot on Election Day, but President Biden and Vice President Harris must reverse course on their misguided policies and put the safety and security of the American people first.”
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
In <a href="https://house.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=98549d605f077248c2019d3db&amp;id=cebeae1455&amp;e=df5aeb1539" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 2024,</a> the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported that DHS’ process of vetting and identifying derogatory information Afghan parolees for Operation Allies Welcome was problematic. Prior to that, in 2023, Green <a href="https://house.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=98549d605f077248c2019d3db&amp;id=b4e4d7cf6c&amp;e=df5aeb1539" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a subpoena</a> to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for documents and information on the vetting and screening of Afghan evacuees entering the United States since 2021. Mayorkas had stonewalled the House Committee on Homeland Security’s request for documents and materials after a <a href="https://house.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=98549d605f077248c2019d3db&amp;id=efc0a5af93&amp;e=df5aeb1539" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 2023 request</a>.
“While the produced documents provide some basic information regarding Afghan evacuees, they fall well short of what was requested by the Committee,” Green wrote at the time. “For example, the Department failed to produce a single e-mail or other communication from Department employees related to the withdrawal from Afghanistan or Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) screening, vetting, or inspection of Afghan evacuees at U.S. Ports of Entry.”
In April 2023, Pfluger led the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence to <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2023/04/19/icymi-hearing-highlights-the-dangers-posed-to-the-u-s-homeland-by-the-biden-administrations-catastrophic-afghanistan-withdrawal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hear testimony</a> from national security experts on the dangerous consequences to U.S. homeland security from the botched 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. Simone Ledeen, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, stated, “I am increasingly concerned given the sheer number of people that are crossing over…Those first couple of planes that took off from Kabul Airport were full of people who had not been vetted, and subsequent vetting actually showed that some of them had in place IEDs and appeared on our biometrics, so I have very grave concerns about this.”
Ryan Saavedra contributed to this article.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/afghan-who-entered-u-s-under-biden-harris-arrested-for-isis-attack-planned-for-election-day">Afghan Who Entered U.S. Under Biden-Harris Arrested For ISIS Attack Planned For Election Day</a>

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GOP Leaders Blast Biden-Harris Admin After Afghan Terrorist Arrested For Election Day Plot

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